Way of The Witches
by Cptdave
Summary: The Anti-Ranma Squad have finally found a fool-proof way to get rid of Ranma. Send him to a different Earth. One that is sure to end him, right? But Ranma Saotome doesn't lose! Not against aliens hell bent on eliminating humanity, or the military juntas that seem to run the world, or the one group of people who have survived it all. He will Learn the Way of the Witches.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Goodbye Ranma

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here at all. If I did, I probably wouldn't be living paycheck to paycheck right now.

Author's Note Forward/personal disclaimer: This fic is set after the failed wedding in Ranma ½ and a while before Season 1 of Strike Witches. I write for my own enjoyment. I hope you enjoy what I write, and follow/review, but I'm still going to be working on this, and eventually my other fics if my muse allows me, over the coming months.

'_Thoughts'_

"Talking"

STORY STARTS

Hikaru Gosukugi smirked, yes outright smirked, as he stood before three other boys that had come at his message to them. The four of them stood in one of the unused classrooms of Furinkan High School.

"Well, what is it that you have summoned the great Blue Thunder for peasant?!" Kuno asked gruffly as he glared at the introverted freshman.

Mousse looked bored, while Ryuoga, the last of the three, glared at the smaller boy.

"I have something that might interest all three of you, about a certain…...mutual problem…..that you all have. I have already verified that it DOES in fact work, and I see no reason as to why NOT to share it with the three of you." He says calmly, far more calmly than any of them had previously known the boy to act.

"And what might that be?" Mousse asked skeptically as the other two nodded in agreement, remembering the last time that Hikaru had brought something to their attention and how badly it had backfired on them all.

Hikaru smirked as he pulled out the old, tarnished, Arabian looking oil lamp. "This is what I have." He said proudly.

"A lamp?" Ryoga said incredulously as all three stared at the boy as if he were stupid.

"Ah but not just ANY lamp, a MAGIC lamp. Within this lamp is the Djinn of ancient legends, one who will grant anyone who possesses the lamp with three wishes." Hikaru told them with a grin.

"Yes and watch it backfire as that wishing sword did peasant." Kuno snarled in anger, still upset at how that failed to do what it was meant to.

The other two nodded in agreement, while Hikaru sighed at their reactions. "Yes, well that sword was not exactly what could be called 'good'. It was designed to twist people's wishes. The Djinn however, is bound by cosmic law to give you your wish as best as it can. There are some rules of course, but this is actually the real deal!"

"Rules? What rules?" Mousse asked cautiously.

"Prove it works." Ryoga challenged him, trying to make himself look intimidating to pressure and crack the young man, expecting it to work like it had all the previous times he had done this.

Hikaru looked up at Ryoga and raised an eyebrow, obviously not intimidated at all by his posturing. "If my confidence in myself isn't enough proof for you, then maybe this will be," he said as he raised a hand up and it started to glow, before a small flame was created in the palm of his hand, and the three of them watched as it danced as if it had a mind of its own around the young man's hand. "I wished for more confidence, to be able to use magic for real, and for one other thing that does not matter to this conversation. Is that proof enough?" He challenged them.

The three young men's eyes widened at the sight, but again Mousse narrowed his behind his glasses and repeated his question.

"What rules?"

Hikaru looked at him before answering. "Simple really. No wishing to kill someone. No wishing for more wishes. No wishing for someone to fall in love with you. And no wishing to bring back the dead." He answered.

"That sounds reasonable," Mousse said thoughtfully, missing the looks of the other two as they grimaced because of at least one of those rules.

"The only question then is, who is first? Oh and you have to ask for your wishes alone, without any other person around you." Hikaru told them.

The three looked at each other, each one eager for their chance at getting what they want. They seemed to communicate without actually speaking a word, before Ryoga stepped forward.

"Given my…...issues," he growled angrily, "I'll go first, then the others can go."

"Of course, that makes the most sense," Hikaru replied as he passed the lamp to Ryoga and looked at the other two. "And with that, gentlemen, may you have a pleasant evening." He then left the classroom, leaving them to do what they felt they needed to do.

Ryoga stared down at the innocent looking lamp as Mousse put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We'll be outside Ryoga, good luck." He said softly, having no hard feelings with the man, as both he and Kuno turned left the classroom.

Mousse looked over at Kuno and raised an eyebrow. "You honestly think this will work?" He asked.

"It had better work, otherwise that sorcerer will feel the wrath of the Blue Thunder in full," Kuno threatened darkly. Mousse nodded in agreement as they watched the frosted window of the classroom.

Inside Ryoga hesitantly started to rub the lamp, not expecting anything to happen. To his surprise, purple and blue smoke started to billow out of the lamp, swirling around him and almost filling the classroom. Then there was a flash of light as the smoke coalesced into a man, floating on a small cloud. He wore an Arabian outfit, similar to those in movies that romanticize the middle eastern history and stories. The man looked down at Ryoga, then audibly cracked his neck and groaned.

"Oi, kid, can you believe how cramped those blasted lamps are?" He asked as he seemed to stretch and move his limbs.

"Ummm I can imagine," Ryoga said hesitantly, blinking in surprise. "So, your a Djinn?"

The Djinn looked back at him and smirked. "Yup, that is me! You can call me Robyn, and yes I grant wishes, as long as they don't violate my rules. No wishing me to kill people, won't do it. No wishing someone to fall in love with you, that's just wrong and won't do it. No wishing to bring someone back from the dead, that's just bad luck, really bad luck, plus they smell weird. And of course, no wishing for more wishes, that's just cheating and I won't have that," Robyn informed him.

"Ummm okay…..that makes sense. Ummm I actually know what I want to wish for, for all three wishes actually," Ryoga told him.

"Ahhh perfect! Now then, the only caveat to any wishes made is that they won't go into affect until midnight the day you make them. I can't make things happen instantly, they take a little time for reality to accept the new normal. But other than that, wish away!" Robyn said as he threw his arms open wide.

Ryoga nodded seriously, his expression grave. "Robyn, I wish for my first wish to have my directional curse removed from my family bloodline. For my second wish, I wish to have my Jusenkyo curse cured so that I never turn into a pig again. For my third wish, I wish that Ranma Saotome to never find happiness on this Earth!" Ryoga said, almost yelling out the last wish.

Robyn's expression was suitably grave, especially with the last wish. "I see, those are very serious wishes and will definitely have to wait till midnight to fully kick in. But, they don't violate the rules as laid out earlier, so, that being said, consider your wishes granted young man. I hope that they bring you happiness."

Ryoga's expression was stunned at what he was told and he gently put the lamp down on the ground, before he bowed deeply to Robyn. "Thank you Robyn, I will leave you here now, but there are two others outside who wish to receive wishes from you." Ryoga told him.

"Well then, I guess I will stay out until all three of you are done then. Thank you for telling me Ryoga, and good luck out there. Remember, your wishes don't go into effect until after midnight!" Robyn said as Ryoga opened the door and stepped out.

As Ryoga left the classroom, Mousse looked over at Kuno and nodded. "I'll go next, that way you can have the best for last." he said to Kuno.

"Thank you, that is much appreciated for you to think of things like this." Kuno said almost imperiously to Mousse.

Mousse rolled his eyes as he slipped into the classroom, and blinked as he met the Djinn floating there.

"Ahhh you must be the next person for wishes that young Ryoga mentioned. Please, do come in, I am sure you know the rules, so let me have it. Lay it on the Djinn named Robyn, so that your deepest desires can be met. Just know that nothing will happen till midnight tonight, that is just the reality of my powers unfortunately." He said to Mousse as the door was shut.

"Ummm, yes well then.." Mousse stumbles before he nods. "My wishes are for this. My first wish is a cure for my Jusenkyo curse, as handy as it was to fly, it causes more problems than benefits. For my second wish, I wish for me and my descendents to be cured of the genetic disease that makes us go blind. My third and final wish is for Ranma Saotome to be locked in his Jusenkyo girl form until he finds, and earns the love, of his True Love." Mousse tells Robyn.

Robyn raised an eyebrow at the wishes but nods. "At midnight your wishes shall come to fruition. Though I must say, you and Ryoga have it out for this Ranma fellow, though at least you are giving them a way out of it." He comments wryly.

"For all that Ranma and I don't agree, and that he has gotten in my way of pursuing a relationship with the one I love, he has helped me out several times, and an Amazon doesn't forget debts, even when they are seeking to remove an obstacle from their way." Mousse explained.

"Ahhh, well good for you young man. I hope that you obtain what you seek." He said as a flash of light engulfed Mousse. "As I said, at midnight your wishes will be completed. Now I guess its time for the last one, eh?"

"Thank you oh powerful Djinn," Mousse says with a polite and respectful bow. "I will let the last one know he can come in." Mousse then left, with a small, yet victorious, smile. _'Soon you will see Xian, I will be the love you deserve and need, not this Outsider.'_ he thought as he looked over at Kuno.

"Your turn Lord Kuno. The Djinn is waiting to hear your desires." He told Kuno formally, having learned that this was the easiest way to get through to bokken for brains.

"Thank you peasant." Kuno said politely as he slipped into the room.

Robyn blinked as the final one came in, easily able to tell that this one was a pompous fool. He sighed internally, used to seeing this kind but always having a rough time with their wishes as its always the same, self centered things. Money, women, power, control or revenge.

"Greetings oh powerful Djinn. I am the Great Lord Tatewaki Kuno. Hear my pleas and wishes, that they be worthy of being granted by one such as you!" Kuno said theatrically as he bowed politely before Robyn.

Robyn blinked in surprise at what Kuno said, pegging him for the demanding type, and yet here he was being respectful to him. "Greetings Lord Kuno, I am the Djinn, Robyn. What are your wishes?" He asked just as formally back.

Kuno straightened and looked respectfully up at him. "My first wish is to be the most skilled swordsman in the world. The second wish is to have the knowledge and ability to court any woman that I choose to grace with my love. And my final wish is for the Foul Sorcerer Ranma Saotome to be banished from Earth for all eternity." Kuno told him, the last wish said with malice afterthought, as he smirked evilly.

"I see, well, they don't violate the laws of Djinn wishes, so they shall be granted at midnight tonight, due to the needs of reality taking time to accept your wishes and changing accordingly." Robyn told him.

"I thank you, oh power Djinn. I bid you farewell." Kuno said as he bowed to the creature before he started to leave.

Robyn nodded and then in a puff of smoke, returned to the lamp, which then shimmered and faded away, its purpose having been fulfilled, disappearing to only the gods knew where.

Kuno left, a spring in his step, as he walked back to his mansion, content with the knowledge that by tomorrow, the foul demon would be gone, and he would be free to properly court his Fierce Tigress and Flame-haired Goddess without interruptions.

Ranma sighed as he laid back on the roof of the Dojo, instead of on the roof the the Tendo home, as he stared up at the stars. He had finally finished repairing the Dojo after the aborted wedding fiasco that happened last week, forced to do all the work himself by Nabiki, to cut down on the costs to the Tendo Family, whenever he wasn't at school, eating, or sleeping, and even his eating had been cut back heavily by his 'father' as punishment for allowing this to happen.

'_When is this gonna stop? I can't keep this up for too much longer! If this keeps going I might…..I might do to someone else what I did to Saffron…..I can't let that happen. But what can I do?!'_ He thought as he lay there, getting more and more worried about how things weren't changing or progressing. _'Maybe it's time to execute the Saotome Final Technique. It would hurt Mom, but what choice do I have anymore?'_

With these thoughts on his mind, Ranma Saotome, the scion of his House, and a Master Martial Artist in all but name, fell asleep on the roof, drifting into an uneasy slumber.

A couple of hours later, the spectral form of Robyn the Djinn appeared over Ranma's sleeping form.

"So you're Ranma Saotome. Damn kid, you've had it rough! Failed wedding, nobody really loves you aside from your mother and maybe that Kasumi girl. Hounded on all sides by enemies, it's almost as if you're at war. To think that those three thought their wishes would hurt you." He sighs and shakes his head sadly. "Well kiddo, I have to fulfill the wishes, but the exact nature of how in your case is entirely up to me. You can't find happiness here on THIS Earth, and you'll be locked in your female form until you find and earn true love. BUT you'll be a hell of a lot better off where I'm sending you than you are here."

Robyn then cracked his neck, then his knuckles, and got to work weaving his magic. A cold mist settled around Ranma, causing him to change into his female form, and for her to shiver in the chill. She then started to slowly fade away from view.

"Farewell to you Ranma Saotome, your family, your real family, will mourn your 'passing'. But you and your experience will be needed where you're going. I wish you luck kid, you're gonna need it." Robyn said, then faded from view himself.

The next morning Genma got up early, despite grumbling about it, when Nodoka did, and headed for the rebuilt dojo to wake his son up for morning training. When he arrived, he looked about, including hopping up onto the roof, but he couldn't find his son anywhere. The fat, bald man shrugged and hopped back off the roof, thinking that his son must be out training somewhere, as he lazily made his way back to the house, not worried at all.

As breakfast came about, and the rest of the Tendo House gathered at the table to eat, Nodoka and Kasumi brought out the food for everyone. As Nodoka looked around and frowned as her son wasn't there.

"Has anyone seen Ranma this morning?" She asked politely as she looked at everyone.

"Oh my. No Auntie, I haven't since last night when he went out to the dojo to finish working on it." Kasumi answered politely, a look of worry starting to etch her beautiful face.

"Who cares where that pervert is? He's probably off with one of his hussies." Akane snarls as she glares at Genma, trying to find a suitable target for her anger with Ranma gone. "It's all your fault for turning him into a pervert!"

Genma qualed at the anger being directed, unfairly in his opinion, at him. "I haven't seen him either, he was gone before I got up, probably went out somewhere to train." Genma said defensively.

Nabiki looked up at that last, her tired, barely awake, eyes narrowing at Genma, knowing exactly how tired Ranma had been the last week since the failed wedding, and knowing there was absolutely NO way that Ranma would have gotten up any earlier than he absolutely HAD to. Her mind resolved to reach out to contacts to see where her favorite cash cow had disappeared to on her.

Nodoka and Kasumi looked at each other in concern. It wasn't like Ranma to be like this, and they both had seen a downward spiral in the normally resilient young man. Nodoka nodded subtly to Kasumi, signalling that they would talk later about this. Kasumi noded back, obviously worried about Ranma.

Through all of this, Soun remained blissfully buried in his newspaper, trying to ignore how things continued to seem to fall apart around him.

In a different Earth, where the land, society, and people had evolved VERY differently, Ranma slowly phased into being. Instead of being out in the open air, on top of a roof, the gods, whose low sense of humor knew no bounds, had placed the young aquatranssexual in a nice, warm, soft bed. Unfortunately the bed they placed the displaced martial artist happened to also be occupied at this time. Ranma, on instinct, long buried due to the abuses inflicted upon her by her father, cuddled up to the warm, soft body next to her, pressing her face in between the, only slightly smaller than her own, shirt covered chest with a small whimper. The person she cuddled up to, a young lady almost as tall as Ranma's male form, hugged her tightly on instinct, not even waking up. The two of them slept peacefully and soundly as the night wore on. For the pigtailed red-head, it would be the first actual sound night's sleep ever! For the twin tailed, dark haired young lady, it would be her first no nightmare night of sleep since the fall of her homeland to the Neuroi.

No one, not even the aforementioned gods themselves, could predict the changes that were about to occur on this Earth, all because of this one, single young lady being added, where before there was no one like her here.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: I'm Ranma Saotome, Sorry about this

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here at all. If I did, I probably wouldn't be living paycheck to paycheck right now.

Author's Note Forward: First off, HOLY COW at the time I finished this chapter I had 78 people follow this story, 55 favorites, 1 community, and over 900 views! Color me embarrassed at such a response, I'm not used to the attention, but I like it! As for my reviewers, thank you, I'll be responding below. This chapter will be Ranma's 'formal' introduction to being in the World Witches universe. Expect things to get a little dark at times, these people are fighting for survival after all. I will probably be taking this quite a bit darker than the Anime, and I would have to go look at the manga's that the Strike Witches: Suomus Misfits Squadron Translation group has translated. Great group to find on Facebook if you want good information about the World Witches universe as well as some damn good translations of the mangas they have done.

Review Replies

Crazed Horse: Thank you, I hope you continue to enjoy this one.

Birdy1210: Oh there will be consequences

Darkplayer35: I plan to despite an older story starting to spark interest in me again, as well as two additional new story ideas. I'm keeping to one at a time right now, I don't want to get overwhelmed.

Storyreader21: You'll have to read on, cause as River Song would say "Spoilers sweetie" lol. All I will say is that life is NEVER easy for poor Ranma.

'_Thoughts'_

"Talking"

(words) =Translation from another language to english

AN2: Translations/other languages will be pulled from Google Translate, so if they are mangled, well, English is my primary language, with my secondaries being Military, Cursing, and Sarcasm.

STORY STARTS

Ranma woke up to what her body was telling her was a familiar sensation first thing in the morning, that of flying not under her own power due to being thrown. She attempted to correct her flight, so as to not hit too hard, but miscalculated due to whoever threw her was stronger than she thought, as she impacted back first against a solid stone wall, causing the breath to blast out of her, and her eyes to shoot open as she slid slowly down the wall, head first.

Ranma looked blearily up from the floor, or was it down as she was upside down, as a brown haired, pig-tailed, taller young woman, wearing nothing but panties and an undershirt, was storming towards her. _'Wait, is that a tail?! And ears coming out of the top of her head?! What is going on? Is she yelling at me in German?!'_ she thought confusedly as the woman was indeed yelling at her.

"Wer zum Teufel bist du?! Wie bist du in mein Zimmer gekommen?! Du hast Glück, dass ich dich jetzt nicht töte!" (who the fuck are you?! how did you get in my room?! You're lucky I don't kill you right now!) She yelled at Ranma before she reached the downed martial artist.

"Otenbamusume no tame ni sore wa nanideshita ka? ! Anata wa watashi o korosou to shite imasu ka? !" (what was that for you uncute tomboy?! You trying to kill me?!) Ranma yelled back at her in Japanese.

The words coming out of the strange red headed invader stopped her briefly before she switched to English, figuring that would probably be easier to understand than her native Karlslander. "All right, who are you? How did you get in here? Are you a spy or an assassin sent by someone? So help me if you are, you'll be my first human kill." She yells as she starts approaching again.

Ranma's eyes widened as she recognized not just the language, but registered the words as well. "SPY?! KILL?! Like I'm going to let an uncute tomboy like you even TOUCH me!" She snapped as she pushed off the wall, sliding between the pigtailed one's legs and almost to the bed, before she sprang to her feet.

Trude spun around in surprise at the maneuver, and glared at the girl. "I don't know who you think you are, but infiltrating a military base is grounds for jail time at the least, if not a death sentence. You're lucky you're in Britania right now, it's just jail time here." She snapped as she started to approach the girl again.

"I don't even know how I got here! How can you hold that against me?!" Ranma yelled as she hopped up to the rafters and perched there like a cat as she glared down at Trude.

"Get down here or it's going to do nothing but get worse for you!" Trude snapped as she leapt up and grabbed the rafter that Ranma sat on and started to pull herself up onto it.

'Yikes she is crazy strong! Weird how her Ki flows, it's almost like she is burning it far faster than she can generate it long term.' She thought with both mild panic and curiosity. She then leapt away from her and she started to bounce around the room like a demented ping pong ball. "Naw I don't think so, you're not going to catch me that easy, especially with how quickly you're burning through your Ki." she teased as she kept just out of reach.

Trude looked a little confused at how this girl was able to do this without calling on her familiar. It was obvious to her that this was a fellow witch, though who she belonged to was still a mystery. She kept trying to catch the fleet young woman, but always seemed to just barely miss her. "Get BACK HERE!" She yelled loudly.

"Nope! Not doing that!" Ranma yelled back as she leapt around her. "Why would I stay still so you can clobber me? Stupid uncute, slow, tomboy!"

The two created such a racket that it attracted the attention of the others who were sleeping in the nearby rooms, including the most reluctant of all sleepers to wake, Erica Hartmann. They gathered in the open doorway as Ranma continued to bounce around the room, just outside the reach of her opponent, laughing and smiling the whole time, much to the frustration and anger of said opponent.

The collection of young ladies, who range from the very young to young adult, stood there watching the show. Two in particular, a fairly tall red head, and a tall oriental woman, both started to glare at the pair inside the room. The red head, in military dress, as was her companion in being upset at the pair, reached into her jacket and pulled out a small Walther hold out pistol, she pointed it at the ceiling in the room and pulled the trigger.

The loud report of the pistol going off caused the other young ladies, aside from the oriental one, to scream and drop to the ground. Inside the room, the two battling women froze, the pigtailed one in fear as she looked at her commanding officer, while the red head was perched on a rafter, looking down at the door, calculating her odds.

"Oberleutnant Barkhorn, treten Sie JETZT zurück!" ("First Lieutenant Barkhorn, stand down NOW!") The red head snapped in Karlslander, causing the pig tailed one to wince and shrink back, her tail and ears disappearing, much to Ranma's surprise. She then looked up at Ranma and leveled a glare that actually had Ranma flinch, "And you! I don't know who you are yet, but get down here RIGHT NOW!" She ordered, switching to Britanian for her.

On instincts that she didn't fully understand still, Ranma obeyed, hopping down from the rafter and landing lightly in front of the people standing in the doorway, looking sheepish.

"Who are you? How did you get in here? And why are you fighting?" Ranma was asked, in a much more polite, if stern, tone from the oriental looking woman next to the scary red head.

"I'm Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts," Ranma answers proudly. "As for how I got here, your guess is as good as mine. Last thing I can remember I was falling asleep on top of a roof somewhere, don't remember where though…." she trails off, looking concerned that she COULDN'T remember at all. In fact, now that things had calmed down for the most part, she couldn't remember WHERE she learned her martial arts, or where she was from, or anything beyond her name, the name of her school, and her martial arts skills. "As for fighting? That wasn't fighting, that was me playing around. The uncute tomboy behind me couldn't hope to catch me, even if I had both arms and one leg tied behind my back!" She boasted proudly, puffing up in front of the gathered girls, and making Captain Barkhorn bristle behind her in anger.

The two in uniform looked at each other, raising eyebrows, before they looked back at the young red headed headache.

"My name is Lieutenant Colonel Minna Dietlinde Wilcke, I'm the commander of this unit that you have somehow found yourself in," she introduces herself to Ranma, then she waves to each of the other ladies around them. "Next to me is my executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Mio Sakamoto. Behind us is First Lieutenant Charlotte Yaeger, Second Lieutenant Francesca Lucchini, First Lieutenant Sanya Litvyak, Second Lieutenant Eila Juutilainen, First Lieutenant Erica Hartmann, First Lieutenant Perrine Clostermann, Sergeant Lynnette Bishop, and the one behind you that you have been avoiding is First Lieutenant Gertrud Barkhorn." Minna told her.

Ranma looked at all of them, seeing expressions that ranged from the curious, to the blank, to the downright hostile. She took it all in and shrugged. "So you're some kind of military unit then?" She asked slowly, as she carefully relaxed into her deceptive wide open stance.

"That is correct. We're the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, also known as the Strike Witches. We are an elite aerial witch unit." Minna answered as she nodded at their unexpected guest.

"Okay. So what now?" Ranma asks, glancing back at Barkhorn. "And how did she grow a pair of dog ears and a tail, then make them disappear? I've never seen anything like that before. Is it somehow linked to her getting faster and definitely stronger?" She asks Minna rapidly.

Each and every one of the witches blinked in confusion at the questions that Ranma asked them.

"That was her familiar. Our familiar only comes out when we are actively using our magic, which makes us stronger, faster and more durable than a normal human. Science says the increase is anywhere from three to twenty times above the human average." Mio answered her, relaxing her grip on her ever present katana.

"Familiar?" Ranma looked confused as she looked at Mio. "What's that?"

All of the witches stared at Ranma as if she had grown a second head.

"How do you not know about witches and familiars? Did you live under a rock somewhere? Ugh what an utter barbarian." Perrine scoffed in disgust, pointing her nose up as she turned around and left, not wanting to deal with such a person.

Ranma blinks in surprise, then narrows her eyes at the obvious insult directed at her. "Ooooo I don't think I like that one." She mutters just loud enough that Barkhorn heard her. She then looks back first at Barkhorn then to Mio and Minna. "Okay, so seeing as I have no clue WHERE I am, much less where I came from right now, or what a witch is, would someone please explain what is going on then?!"

The other witches look at each other and slowly disperse as Minna, and Mio looks to Barkhorn and Ranma. "All right then, if you'll come with us, then we'll explain everything, as well as have a couple of easy tests done on you. Oh and Trudy, get dressed and join us please." Minna says as she waves for Ranma to follow them.

Barkhorn grumbles under her breath, but obeys the order as Ranma follows Minna and Mio out of the room. She is led down the hallway and into an obvious medical facility.

"So why are we here?" Ranma asked in curiosity as they entered, looking around and seeing a lot of things she recognized as medical devices, but also saw a couple of devices that she didn't know what they did at all.

Mio and Minna looked at each other, then to Ranma, surprised that she didn't recognize a magical capability machine that had become standard issue in all hospital facilities in the last decade.

"We're here to determine if you have magical capability and how strong it might be. With how you were bouncing around back in Trudy's, I mean Lieutenant Barkhorn's, room, we are assuming you're an undiscovered witch at this time." Minna explained as she waved towards the device that Ranma didn't recognize. "We'll put this dome like device around your head and then let the device do what it does to determine if you are a witch, and how powerful of one that you are."

"Me? A witch with magic?!" Ranma scoffs softly. "Listen Red, I'm a martial artist, not a witch." She says as she crosses her arms under her breasts, scowling at the device.

"Then where is the harm in being tested?" Mio countered. "Unless you're afraid of a little medical test."

"Ranma Saotome ain't afraid of nothing!" Ranma counters hotly at Mio, glaring at her.

Mio gazed back, unperturbed by the glare. "Then prove it by getting in the chair and letting us test you." She countered plainly.

Ranma keeps glaring as she moves over to the chair, eyeballs the device warily, before she sits down, giving Minna and Mio a 'so there' look. Minna chuckles softly as she and Mio start attaching the various sensors on Ranma, and then lower the dome like hood that does the bulk of the scanning.

"All right, this shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes." Minna told her as she turned on the device and it started to do its scanning with very little wait time.

Ranma looked around briefly as the device made noises she wasn't familiar with, before she closed her eyes and started to meditate to calm herself down. As she meditated, she started to glow a pale blue, causing Minna's and Mio's eyes to widen in surprise. This was the first time either of them had seen a witch call upon her magic without her familiar being released at the same time. Minna quickly glanced at the scanner and saw that the readings it was taking kept climbing higher and higher, easily passing some of the strongest witches in the known world.

"Ranma, I want you to reach deep inside, where you can feel your connection to your magic, and pull on it, let it flow through you, call it out." Mio said softly near Ranma, but still easily heard by the martial artist.

She wanted to scoff at the idea of magic, but after hearing their explanation earlier about familiars, maybe it wasn't so far fetched yet, so she reached, as she was asked, and discovered a part of her Ki that she hadn't experienced before, despite her skills. So she called to it, coaxed it, and drew it out, all while keeping her eyes closed. On the outside, Minna and Mio had to quickly cover their eyes as everything grew extremely bright as the blue glow around Ranma intensified quickly and exponentially. As the glow subsided, and the two older witches could open their eyes again, they discovered that Ranma had a pair of black ears, and an orange and black striped tail, with the tail wrapping around her waist like a belt. Minna quickly looked at the charts that were being printed and gasped in shock. Mio looked over at Minna in concern, only for her own eyes to widen as well at what the device had reported.

"R...ra...ranma you can go ahead and stop calling it out now…." Mio said slowly, stumbling over the name as she tried to get over her shock.

The glow fades down to nothing as the ears and tail fade away and Ranma opens her eyes. "So, what did your device tell you? Nothing I'm sure. I've never had magic, I'm a martial arti…..." She says, looking expectantly at the two older girls, though she trailed off at seeing their shocked expressions as they looked from the print out in Minna's hands to Ranma and back again.

"Ummmm Minna? Mio?" Ranma asked hesitantly, starting to grow concerned with the lack of reaction from either of them.

Mio shook herself, and glanced over at Ranma fully. "Ah! Ranma…..ummm...well, your results were very _interesting_. Yes, very interesting indeed." She says almost absently.

"Interesting how?" Ranma asks as she gets out of the chair and moves over to try to look at the paper.

Minna blinks as she sees Ranma approaching. "AH! Ranma, you said you didn't know where you came from, correct?" she asks suddenly, her eyes sparkling, causing Ranma to pause.

"Umm yeah, no clue where I'm from or how I got here." She answered Minna, still concerned at both their reactions as well as her strange memory loss.

"And being a martial artist, you took an oath to defend those who can't defend themselves correct?" She prodded further.

"Yeah, doesn't every martial artist? It's the primary reason for studying the Art." Ranma said, now confused with where Minna was going with this.

"Here is the thing, humanity is currently fighting for its life against an alien life form known only as the Neuroi. We need ALL the help we can get, and right now, the best fighters against them are witches. Normal forces can hurt and kill a Neuroi, but only with severe losses it seems. Witches, on the other hand, have a much higher survival rate." Minna said in a rush. "And according to your results you are DEFINITELY a witch! So….. would you be willing to join the 501st as a witch? We will get you trained in our ways of combat, and you'd be fighting to help keep humanity alive."

"Fighting? Like in a war? And having to kill?" Ranma asked hesitantly, feeling unsure about that last thing.

"Ranma, as a fellow martial artist I fully understand your hesitance at the idea of killing, but remember, these aliens are seeking to completely wipe out humanity. They kill men, women and children. They don't care if they are warriors, or doctors, or anything. All they want is to kill us all." Mio countered, trying to help Minna convince this treasure that had literally fallen into their laps.

"You'd get me training? A different fighting style?" She asked slowly. "And **IF** I agree to join, I would be saving lives?"

"Yes you would, thousands of lives, if not millions!" Minna answered excitedly. "We could induct you today if you are willing. I have full authority to enlist people into the Karlsland military…" she trails off as Barkhorn walks into the room.

"You can't be seriously thinking of doing that Minna!?" she exclaimed in shock at what her friend and commander had just said. "You're willing to let her off without any punishment?!"

All three looked over at her remarks. Minna and Mio giving her a repressive glare, while Ranma raised an eyebrow.

"Wait a minute, if I join your military, I won't get in trouble? AND you'll teach me how to fight in your styles? AND I get to defend innocent people?" Ranma asks slowly, the idea of learning more Art as well as heeding the call of a Martial Artist intriguing her massively.

Barkhorn looked shocked at the idea, turning slowly to almost glare at the pigtailed red-head, while Minna spun to face her fully, her eyes sparkling with excitement and hope.

"YES! Exactly that Ranma! You won't get in trouble with being on our base, AND I'll ensure you get trained in how we fight, both with hand to hand weapons, firearms, and magic. And we'll teach you to fly!" She said excitedly. 'I think that might work, gods I hope it does. We NEED someone of her power level!' she thought as she watched Ranma mull the idea over.

'Let's see here. I get out of trouble, get to learn how to fight with more styles. Never learned how to use firearms, bleh, normally wouldn't agree, but if its a battle for humanity's survival I'm not going to turn THAT down…..wait a minute, did she say FLY?! OH HELLS YES!' Ranma thought as her eyes lit up as that last thought went through her head. It was her school's specialty to be ariel combat, so to learn how to actually FLY would be a dream come true.

"All right Minna, you got yourself a DEAL!" Ranma said excitedly, sticking her hand out at her.

Minna's and Mio's eyes both sparkled at the coup that they just pulled off, while Trude looked on in horror at the idea of this crazy, undisciplined, completely unknown woman was being allowed to join the Karlsland military AND the 501st.

"We'll handle the paperwork later, but right now Ranma, do you swear to defend Karlsland, our Emperor, and our People with all that you are. To obey military law and regulations, the orders of the Emperor, and the Officers appointed over you? To fight against the Neuroi with all that you are?" Minna asks Ranma formally.

Ranma's expression turned serious, much to Trude's surprise, as she nodded. "I so swear, on my honor as a Martial Artist." she replies to Minna's questions.

"Then, with the power vested to me by our Kaiser,, Fredrick IV, I formally accept your oath and welcome you to the Karlsland Luftwaffe (Air Force) as a Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)." Minna finished the oath. "Congratulations Leutnant Saotome. Your initial trainer shall be Oberleutnant Barkhorn." Minna glanced meaningfully up at Trude, as if saying that she better not screw this up. "It will be her responsibility to ensure you learn how to fly, use firearms, and the tactics that are part of ariel combat as a witch."

Trude grimaced but braced to attention, her boot heels clicking together sharply as she stared straight ahead. "Auf Ihren Befehl Oberstleutnant!" ("By your command Lieutenant Colonel") She said formally, then looked over at Ranma. "Come on rookie, let's go see if we have a striker unit for you, and if you have what it takes." she sighs, obviously very NOT happy with what has happened, but resigned to her duties, like a good Karlsland soldier.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Next time on Way of the Witches

"What do you mean I can't wear PANTS?! And I ONLY have what I am WEARING! I don't know WHY I'm wearing boxers you….you…." she yells at Trude.


End file.
